Essential measures #3 L'Oreal Exfotonic Skin Revealing Exfoliator and Clarins Body Smoothing Scrub (joint honours)

Body scrub is an essential part of my routine. I hate the feeling of dry skin on my body and probably exfoliate every other day, either on dry skin if I'm in need of a real slough or when showering.

I've been using L'Oreal Exfotonic for several years now (and so, apparently, has Cheryl Cole, as I read recently!). It is hardcore! Not only does my body feel incredibly soft after I've used it but the tips of my fingers too where I've rubbed it in.

It comes in a green tube and comprises large-ish green granules in a gel-like suspension (my boyfriend likens it to frogspawn).

At around £8 a bottle I think it's pretty good value, and it can often be picked up on offer in Boots and Superdrug in the UK. I used to follow this with L'Oreal's Nutrilift body moisturiser which is a great partner... until I discovered Kiehl's more luxurious and natural-feeling body creams, which will feature as my next 'Essentials'...

So Exfotonic has served me well over the years and is a great budget-ish scrub, however I recent discovered Clarins Body Smoothing Scrub for a New Skin (catchy name!), and I have to say I'm seriously in love with this. The L'Oreal is now my quick 'n' dirty, standby scrub, but when I want to truly pamper myself, I reach for the Clarins. Just the look and smell alone, gorgeously creamy and peachy, is enough to send me in to raptures (apparently it contains bamboo powders). It takes me back to my early teens, when my beauty obsession began and when there was nothing more glamourous and grown up  than a tube of Clarin's something or other among the Avon and Rimmel on my dressing table. Aesthetic and olfactory properties aside though, this works beautifully - it feels gentle and soothing but my skin still feels baby soft and kind of peachy too afterwards, and although I'm not certain, I think the effects are more longer lasting than with the Exfotonic.

The Clarins scrub retails at around £25 so definitely more of a luxury - I'll probably buy two the next time Clarins are running a promotion.

So there we have it, I couldn't pick a favourite as each has their merits, so these are my joint top scrubs. I think I'll be repurchasing these for some time to come. Has anyone tried either or have any favourite scrubs of their own? I'm still on the lookout for an 'Essential' facial scrub - Sisley's Gentle Facial Buffing Cream is leading the way so far and I've also been impressed with Clinque's Seven Day scrub, but I suspect there's a HG for me out there somewhere....